Tables and the like and adjustable means for levelling the same



June 23, 1964 1 L LOYD-DAVlEs 3,137,965

TABLES AND THE LIKE AND ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR LEVELLING THE SAME Filed April 2, 1962 United States Patent O 3,137,965 TABLES AND THE LIKE AND ADJUSTABLE MEANS FR LEVELLING THE SAME Llewellyn LioydDavies, Ogunquit, Maine, assigner t0 Enrrowes Manufacturing Corporation, Portland, Maine,

a corporation of Maine Filed Apr. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 184,403 Claims. (Cl. 45-139) This invention relates to means for levelling surfaces of which the beds of pool and billiard tables and the like are good examples.

The playing surface of pool and billiard tables must be level for use and for that reason they are usually provided With adjustable means enabling them to be levelled if necessary. It has been the practice to provide means for accomplishing that result that comprised pairs of spaced cleats on the undersurface of each table bed With each cleat having a bore in alinement with a bore in the other cleat of that pair. A rotatable connector Was provided for each pair of cleats, each connector having oppositely threaded end portions with each end portion threaded in a cleat bore.

While this combination enabled levelling adjustments to be made, it had the objectionable feature that, as the cleats Were Wooden, the connector frequently pulled free from a cleat. As a consequence, repairs were required before the needed levelling corrections could be made.

The principal objective of the present invention is to ensure that the connectors of such a levelling means would not pull free from either one of its cleats. In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained by providing each cleat With a transverse bore intersecting the first named or connector receiving bore. Anchors are provided, one for each transverse cleat bore and of a cross sectional size and shape to fit therein. Each connector has an appropriate one of its threaded portions freely entrant of one of the alined bores and threaded through the anchor of that cleat.

Each anchor may be of metal rod stock or in the form of a metal sleeve. In the former case, the anchor has a transverse bore while in the latter case, the sleeve has transversely alined openings and the threads of the threaded portions of the connector for use therewith may be of a self-tapping type. Where the connectors are metal sleeves, the sleeves are preferably longitudinally split With one opening being defined by the edges thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodiments of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and yadvantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan and partly sectioned view of a table bed provided with levelling means in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a partly sectioned side View thereof,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side view illustrating another embodiment of the invention, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the anchors used in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3.

The bed of a table is generally indicated at and is shown as having pairs of spaced cleats 11 suitably anchored to its under surface as by glue and screws. The cleats 11 of each pair have alined bores 12 and each cleat 11 has a bore 13 transversely intersecting its bore 12.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGURES 1 yand 2, an anchor 14 of rod stock is provided With a transverse, threaded bore and is dimensioned to fit a cleat bore 13. Each anchor 14 is inserted in a cleat bore 13 With its threaded bore 15 in alinement with the bore 12 of that cleat, the threads of one bore 15 ice being of a hand opposite to those of the anchor in the other cleat.

A connector, generally indicated at 16, has a flattened central part 17 for ease in gripping and turning it and end portions 18 and 19 which are oppositely threaded for entry through the bores 15 of the anchors so that by turning the connectors in one direction or the other, the bed may be accurately levelled.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGURES 3 and 4, the anchors 20 are each in the form of a split sleeve having a hole 21 in transverse alinement with the opening defined by the edges 22. In practice, the sleeve edges 22 are recessed as at 23. The connector 24 has a central flattened portion 25 and end portions 26 and 27 which are provided With self-tapping threads of opposite hand.

The use of a split-sleeve anchor has the advantage that its edges 22 provide visible end markers that facilitate the positioning of the sleeve to receive the end portions 26 and 27 of the connectors and they may be so spaced and dimensioned relative to the end portions 26 and 27 as to be forced apart thereby into tight engagement With the transverse bores 13.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention is Well adapted to meet all requirements since the anchors are securely held by the cleats and securely hold the threaded portions of the connectors in any adjusted position.

I claim:

1. In combination, a table bed provided with at least one pair of spaced cleats having alined passages, each cleat having a transverse bore intersecting the said passages of that cleat, anchors, one for each transverse cleat bore and held therein against rotation therein, each anchor having a transverse bore disposed in registry with said alined passages, and a rotatable connector for each pair of cleats, including a pair of oppositely threaded end portions, each end portion being entrant of one of said alined passages and threaded through a respective one of said anchor bores.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which each anchor is a metal rod portion and its transverse bore is threaded.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which anchor is a metal sleeve.

4. In combination, a table bed provided with at least one pair of spaced cleats having alined bores, each cleat having a transverse bore intersecting the rst named bore of that cleat, anchors, one for each transverse cleat bore and in the form of a sleeve dimensioned to t therein, each anchor having transversely alined openings disposed in registry with said alined bores, and a rotatable connector for each pair of cleats including a pair of oppositely threaded end portions, each end portion being entrant of one of said alined bores and threaded through the openings of a respective one of said anchor bores.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which the anchor is a split sleeve fitting a transverse bore with one opening being dened by the edges thereof and the other opening being a hole and the threads of the threaded portions are of the self-t-apping type.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 947,602 Stahl et al. Ian. 25, 1910 1,916,023 Shull June 27, 1933 2,165,478 Gross July 11, 1939 2,672,659 Becker Mar. 23, 1954 3,030,729 Elden Apr. 24, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,353 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1908 

1. IN COMBINATION, A TABLE BED PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SPACED CLEATS HAVING ALINED PASSAGES, EACH CLEAT HAVING A TRANSVERSE BORE INTERSECTING THE SAID PASSAGES OF THAT CLEAT, ANCHORS, ONE FOR EACH TRANSVERSE CLEAT BORE AND HELD THEREIN AGAINST ROTATION THEREIN, EACH ANCHOR HAVING A TRANSVERSE BORE DISPOSED IN REGISTRY WITH SAID ALINED PASSAGES, AND A ROTATABLE CONNECTOR FOR EACH PAIR OF CLEATS, INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY THREADED END PORTIONS, EACH END PORTION BEING ENTRANT OF ONE OF SAID ALINED PASSAGES AND THREADED THROUGH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID ANCHOR BORES. 